The New Westminster lacrosse club was founded on May 12, 1888 but did not play their first home game in the Royal City until June 8, 1889, a 3-1 loss to Vancouver.

"All lacrosse players are requested to meet on the cricket grounds this evening for the purpose of forming a lacrosse club." - New Westminster Daily British Columbian, Friday, May 11, 1888

On Saturday evening a meeting of lacrosse players was held and a club formed. Mr. Glover was appointed chairman pro tem and Mr. Lewis permanent secretary and treasurer. A committee was formed to draft rules and by-laws, and perform other duties in connection with the organization of the club. Practises [sic] will be held every Wednesday and Friday evening for the present, and it is to be hoped that every lover of the game will join the club and assist in making it a success in every way. It is the intention to try and arrange a match with Vancouver on July 1st. - New Westminster Daily British Columbian, Monday, May 14, 1888

They won their first Mann Cup in 1915. Prior to 1932, they played as a field lacrosse team but in May 1932 box lacrosse was adopted for the senior league in British Columbia - and the Salmonbellies have been a box lacrosse team since then. The Salmonbellies have won the Mann Cup more than any other lacrosse team. They have won at least one Mann Cup in every decade since the inception of the trophy, except for the 2000s.

Salmonbellie Alumni Paul Parnell, Wayne Goss, Eric Cowieson, Jack Bionda, Cliff Sepka and Geordie Dean have all had their numbers retired by the team. There are more Salmonbellies alumni in the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame than from any other team.

The Salmonbellie name arose from a taunt given by an opposing team's fan during an early game. The fan called the New West team "salmonbellies" referring to the fact that salmon was considered a lowly food at the time. But the players liked the name, concluding that the belly was the prime portion on the fish, so the name was adopted and has stuck for over a century. Curiously, the name is never spelled with a "y" even when one writes about an individual "Salmonbellie."

Salmonbellies vs. the World: The Story of Lacrosse's Most Famous Team & Their Greatest Opponents (Caitlin Press, 2013) by W.B. MacDonald, is an in-depth, illustrated book which shares stories of the players' lives, successes and heartbreaks.